SOUTHERN WATER SERVICES LIMITED
Company number: 02366670
Reporting period:
1 April 2025 to 30 September 2025
Report filed on:
31 October 2025
Approved by:
Stuart Neil Ledger
Contracts and payments
Do any of this business's construction contracts with its suppliers include retention clauses? Yes
Payment statistics
Average time taken to pay invoices: 47 days
Total value paid:
- within 30 days: £250,260,253 (27%)
- in 31 to 60 days: £518,974,993 (56%)
- in 61 days or more: £150,207,566 (16%)
Invoices paid:
- within 30 days: 21%
- in 31 to 60 days: 60%
- in 61 days or more: 19%
Late and disputed:
- total value of payments due in the reporting period which have not been paid within the agreed period: £313,395,772
- payments due in the reporting period which have not been paid within the agreed period: 38%
- not made in the reporting period due to a dispute: 0%
Payment terms
Shortest standard payment periods
14 days
Longest standard payment period
60 days
Standard payment terms
Southern Water policy is to establish any new contractual arrangement based on 60-day payment terms. However, as part of the regulated negotiated procurement process, we will consider the commercial benefit of negotiating shorter payment terms. In addition, as part of our approach to Corporate and Social responsibility we will consider the application of 30-day payment terms for appropriate Small and Medium Enterprises.
Were there any changes to the standard payment terms in the reporting period?
No
Were suppliers notified or consulted about these changes before they were made?
N/A
Maximum contractual payment period agreed
60 days
No further comment provided
Any other information about payment terms
Southern Water operates a range of payment mechanisms including direct debit, Purchasing Cards and BACS.
Our core system is SAP and we have a three-way match between the purchase order, goods receipt and invoice details. To avoid delays in payment Southern Water requests suppliers to:
• Ensure that they have a valid and current purchase order number
• Send all documents and credit notes by email to SouthernWater@DOL.co.uk in PDF format. If sending more than one invoice in the same email, please provide a separate file attachment for each document
• Only submitting them when goods or services have been delivered
• Not split invoices against multiple purchase orders
If suppliers are unable to utilise email, invoices and credit notes should be sent direct to Accounts Payable, Southern Water, Southern House, Yeoman Road, Worthing BN13 3NX.
We have a small number of ‘term-contractors’ undertaking construction and infrastructure maintenance work. These contractors’ issue monthly applications for payment covering a very large number of individual jobs. In accordance with the guidance each of these jobs has been treated as an individual invoice payment even though they are paid on a consolidated invoice.
As a result, the performance statistics reported are significantly influenced by the timing of payment of 161 consolidated invoices which are treated as over 79,000 invoices in the calculations.
As part of our management of cash over the course of our financial year end (March 25), the timing of payments for 23 of these consolidated invoices, representing over 20,000 invoices, were deferred with the full agreement of the suppliers. The classification of these payments into the specific time bandings for this report is the main driver for the change in our reported performance from prior periods.
The underlying performance of our payments to other suppliers is as follows:
Average time to pay 40 days
Within 30 days 43%
In 30 to 60 days 46%
Over 60 days 11%
Invoices due but not paid to agreed terms 21%
Retention clauses
How does this business use retention clauses?
Retention clauses are used in specific circumstances:
Retention clauses apply to contracts for the construction of physical capital assets. Professional Services contracts that are classed as construction contracts do not attract retention clauses.
Does this business only use retention clauses in construction contracts above a specific contract sum?
No
Does this business use a standard percentage rate in retention clauses?
Yes: 3%
Does this business apply retention clause practices that are no more onerous than those applied to it on the same project?
No
Releasing money under a retention clause
Process for releasing money this business has deducted or retained under a retention clause
Contractor notifies of completion of works to apply for the retention to be released. We certify completion of the works and release the retention.
Is the money released in stages?
Yes:
50% of retention is released at completion and the remaining amounts released at 52 weeks post completion (Defects Liability Period). For example, 1.5% released at completion and the remaining 1.5% released at the end of the defects liability period.
Amount retained from suppliers in the reporting period
Amount retained stated as a percentage of the money retained from this business by its clients
100%
Amount retained stated as a percentage of the total construction payments made by this business
1%
Dispute resolution process
At Southern Water our aim is to resolve invoice queries or disputes in a timely manner and ensure payments are made at the earliest opportunity. All queries should be addressed in the first instance to accountspayableBPS@southernwater.co.uk
If the issue cannot be resolved by the accounts payable team, then the matter will be directed to the Purchase Order owner for resolution. Upon resolution of any queries or disputes if the invoice has become due it will be settled on the next payment run.
Other payment information
Has this business signed up to a code of conduct or standards on payment practices? If so, which?
For example, signatories to The Fair Payment Code must commit to paying 95% of their invoices within 60 days.
No, this business has not signed up to a code of conduct or standards on payment practices.
Does this business offer e-invoicing in relation to qualifying contracts?
This is where suppliers can electronically submit and track invoices. It's not just allowing suppliers to email them an invoice.
No
Does this business offer supply chain finance?
This is where a supplier who has submitted an invoice can be paid by a third-party finance provider earlier than the agreed payment date. The business would then pay the finance provider the invoiced sum.
No
Under its payment practices and policies, can this business deduct sums from payments under qualifying contracts as a charge for remaining on a supplier list?
No
During the reporting period, did the business deduct sums from payments as a charge for remaining on a supplier list?
No